ABSTRACT
Biology textbooks often state that the most important characteristic of organisms is the ability to reproduce, and then proceed to an account of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication and protein synthesis as though that were the solution to the fundamental problem of life. The organism qualifies as a dissipative structure in the sense that it is maintained in a steady state by a flow of energy and chemicals. Coherent excitations render the organism very sensitive to external electromagnetic fields, for weak signals can be greatly amplified and then affect biological functioning. There have been many observations suggesting that diverse organisms are sensitive to electromagnetic fields of extremely low intensities- of magnitudes that are similar to those occurring in nature. Practically all organisms emit light at a steady rate from a few photons per cell per day to several hundred photons per organism per second.
